While being a bit bored over the Holidays, I bought this game cos people kept raving about it.
Turns out, it's really good? Like, really actually good? With all the things I like about good CRPGs and none of the things that I hate?
Let's back up. Disco Elysium, developer ZA/UM's debut title, is a classic CRPG in the Torment mold: You play as <Name not yet decided>, who wakes up after several days of doing drugs and getting Disco, Baybeee to find out that a) they're a cop, b) there's a dead body swinging on a tree outside that has been there for a week already and c) there's a cop from another precinct who was trying to get in touch with you about the whole situation. You have to solve not only the murder, but more importantly, find an answer to the question of "what cop am I?", a task somewhat complicated by your psyche being shattered in 24 pieces, each representing one of your skills. These form a consistent background noise, interjecting themselves into every dialogue to give you hints or presenting an impulse to be acted out, thereby forming what in other CRPGs would be your party.
Speaking of party, there's also Lt Kim Kitsuragi, your assigned partner: An incredibly by-the-book cop who provides a very comforting presence (and quite a bit of snark) to even out the utter insanity a determined player can inflict on the world.
The world itself is ... incredibly beautiful. The art is neatly stylized, always atmospheric and evocative, buoyed by some excellent music provided by British Sea Power; there are neat little details everywhere.
The writing is uniformly excellent: Characters all have distinct voices and are just full of character each of them sharply defined and nuanced.
Yeah. Disco Elysium. In any other year, it would've been my game of the year, but unfortunately for it that title was already taken by Ace Combat 7, but by god you do need to play it immediately.